Happy Valentines Day! As we start the Half Term holiday, I hope pupils and teachers get a well-deserved break.  We are now at the mid-point of the academic year, which is a good time to look backwards as well as forwards… 

As you will be aware, in the most recent previous ISI inspections, our schools were rated as “excellent” in all areas. We now are back into the “inspection season” and there is a new framework whereby the gradings for inspections have been removed, which in some ways is a shame. However, with Crescent being the first Foundation school to go through the new regime it is very good that they have been awarded a coveted “significant strength” and the high quality of education and pastoral care has been rightly recognised in their report, published this week. 

Whilst it is always nice to have such positive external endorsement of the quality of education we provide, the positive feedback and affirmation from parents - which were a striking feature of last term’s Parental Survey - is more important to us, as is all feedback as to areas you think we can improve. Thank you to all parents for the support and encouragement and positivity you bring to our schools - it is hugely appreciated. 

Pupil Recruitment 

As you will be aware, with the change in government policy, independent schools are facing additional challenges and so it is incredibly reassuring to see that not just the current pupil numbers in all our schools, but also our pupil recruitment for the next academic year and beyond remains very strong indeed. Whilst we do have an excellent marketing and admissions team the strongest factor in our recruitment is undoubtedly the positive endorsement from parents by word of mouth – a huge thank you for all you do to support us in this respect. 

Annual Fund and Donations 

I hope that all parents are aware of our drive to increase income through the tax efficiency of donations, supporting our schools via the Annual Fund. If this initiative is not yet on your radar, please click here to learn more about what we are asking you to consider and the significant impact a thriving Annual Fund can have on all our Foundation schools. 

In the weeks since launching this initiative, we have already seen a fantastic response, with £146,000 raised for the Annual Fund so far! Thanks to your generous support, it is already making a big difference: 

 Parents have started making and pledging new regular donations, giving us the confidence to plan ahead for future projects. 

• Support from the Annual Fund, alongside contributions from the Friends of Crescent and Crackley Hall PTA, has ensured that the Memorial Garden at Crescent School and new Changing Rooms on the Crackley Hall playing fields will both begin construction over Easter.
• At Princethorpe, we have seen strong support for Bursaries and are making great progress toward securing funding for key capital projects. One priority we are considering is the resurfacing of the AstroTurf pitch over the summer, ensuring top-quality facilities for our pupils. 

A number of parents have asked when they should begin their donations. The answer is simple: as soon as you are ready and able to give, please do!

 We will be finalising budgets and spending plans for the 2025-26 academic year in the run-up to the Easter holidays, so ideally, we would like donations or pledges confirmed before the end of March if at all possible.  

Your generosity makes an immediate and lasting difference. Thank you to everyone who has already contributed. 

Pupils’ personal development 

As you may know I recently became a grandfather, and as Finlay is only four-months-old every week I see huge changes in his physical development and personality, not least with his ability now to smile!  

When we look at our pupils, it is the growth in their own personal development that is so important. This is clearly visible in the classroom, but often more obvious in their co-curricular activities – sport, music, drama (School of Rock last week was brilliant), working on sustainability projects, collaborating with their peers, being “upstanders” and following their passions and developing their friendships – these are the areas which make such a difference, both now and for their futures. It is important to look ahead and we are extremely excited about the Careers Insights Event aimed at Years 10 to Sixth Form at Princethorpe on Saturday 29 March and are particularly delighted to welcome back Tunde Olanrewaju, (Old Princethorpian and general superstar) as our keynote speaker. 

Finally, I want to thank our Heads and their staff for all their hard work and dedication in supporting our pupils. 

With all best wishes,

Ed Hester 
Foundation Principal 

Ed Hester
Foundation Principal

Dear Parents and Friends of the School

We will finally welcome a new month next week (January seems to have lingered this year) and at the same time the drive to work and home at the two ends of the day are gradually becoming lighter. The lovely sunshine and blue skies earlier this week have been uplifting to the spirit. Seeing the emerging snowdrops just adds to the growing optimism. 

Chinese New Year always occurs during the last part of January or the beginning of February and that is also a nice marker as we travel towards the spring. We celebrated with a whole school assembly telling the story of the ‘Great Race’, where the animals of the Chinese Zodiac raced across the river and had the years named after them. The children enjoyed this, but perhaps not quite as much as they enjoyed the lovely Chinese menu provided by our caterers this lunchtime. 新年快乐, happy new year. 

Another thought-provoking assembly this week was the presentation from the Severn Trent Water on Tuesday. The children learned about the importance of saving water and using it wisely, as well as all the good work that goes on providing fresh, clean water into our homes on a daily basis. It is so easy to take this for granted but it is really only very recently in human history that this has been universally available (in the developed world). The children also enjoyed some follow up workshops exploring the theme. Thank you to Mrs Johnson for arranging all of this. 

A highlight of the week that I also should mention was the Year 5 and 6 rehearsal of the LAMDA performances to parents. We have the examiner coming in on Monday and Tuesday next week, and I hope they are prepared to be blown away. Astonishingly, up to this point in the year, all of our LAMDA examinees have been awarded distinctions for their performances, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Year 5s and 6s followed suit next week. No pressure to do this of course, it is an individual thing, but it was nevertheless wonderful to see the high level of performance and confidence the children showed in front of a live parent audience. Amazing stuff. 

I hope you have had a chance to tune into Ed Hester’s message from the parents’ forum on Tuesday evening. You will be able to see a follow up recorded message from me via an ISAMS email that you will receive separately today. If anyone has any questions or thoughts regarding this new initiative, please do feel as if you can contact me directly. I am happy to talk. 

Good luck to our footballers who are playing at Repton tomorrow and I hope everyone enjoys a relaxing weekend, with maybe a little bit more of that winter sunshine along the way. 

Joe Thackway
Headmaster

As a school community, we are still reeling from the dreadful news last week of the passing of Chris Williams. Chris was the father of Barnaby and also of Beau, both wonderful Crescent children who attended our school, and known to many of you. This news came to us just a week or so before the anniversary of Barnaby’s death last year.

Chris was always such an inspiring father to Barnaby and Beau, never more so than during the last years of his life. He struck the ideal balance between steadfast support and a light-touch sense of fun. Despite his battle with the illness that finally caught up with him, Chris was always beautifully turned out, smart and approachable, right up until his last days.

In school, we are doing everything we can to support Beau, and all of her friends have been amazing. The heartfelt sympathies of the entire Crescent community go out to Tina, Beau and all of their extended family. 

Chris Williams - The Best There Ever Was 💙

Rest in peace, Chris.

Joe Thackway
Headmaster

I wrote to you before Christmas giving some higher-level statistics from the responses to the parental questionnaire earlier in the autumn term. These responses were overwhelmingly positive and there were some lovely comments as well, that we all enjoyed reading. 

As you would expect, there were other issues that were politely raised, and some of the questions got, relatively speaking, lower percentage approval rates. Following the survey, I asked my heads of departments and school leaders to look closely at their areas and to develop action plans to take this process to the next stage. 

I have bullet-pointed below some of the key points that we are now building into our school development plan. Rather than risk information overload at this point, hopefully the notes below will give an idea where we are focusing. Over the next weeks and terms, we will build these into more specific actions that I hope you will welcome, and will improve the school experience, both for yourselves and your children. 

The three key areas covered are curriculum and learning, pastoral care and co-curricular provision. 

Curriculum and learning: 

• Improve our communication of the various feedback opportunities
• Provide more regular updates on academic performance to parents during the year
• Publicise achievements and expectations, and provide meaningful comparisons with national norms
• Improve the perception and consistency of pupil awards
• Review the consistency of homework provision and expectation
• Review the use of Seesaw, particularly when used as a homework tool 

Pastoral: 

• Complete our review of managing school behaviour, including sanctions and rewards, involving pupil, staff and parent voice.
• Roll out school behaviour expectations to staff, children and parents
• Pastoral monitoring of the new system for consistency, fairness and rigour 

Co-Curricular: 

• Continue to source a variety of co-curricular opportunities 
• Have regular conversations with our main providers to vary their provision 
• Have an awareness of the needs of the double classes 
• Review the location and setting for whole school events such as Carol services and performances, to ensure maximum access for as many children and parents as possible 

Please keep your eye out for further details and what these actions will look like in detail, either in the Courier or in parents’ information meetings as and when they occur. 

Thanks again for everyone's contributions to this process. The views and thoughts of parents are of tremendous importance to us as a school, and to me personally.  

I truly value your support. 

Joe Thackway 
Headmaster

This term the focus during our swimming lessons will be on water safety. We will be following the Swim England Water Safety and Water Skills awards. Water safety skills are vital life and survival skills, especially if you live near or holiday by water such as canals, ponds, rivers, quarries, lakes and harbours. All Swim England water safety badges can only be awarded to swimmers when performed without nose clips and goggles.

There are three Water Safety Awards teaching water danger awareness, self-rescue techniques and vital survival skills in clothes, without swimming goggles or nose clips.

The Water Safety Awards have been developed in partnership with Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Royal Lifesaving Society UK (RLSS UK).

The Water Safety Awards are:

• Water Safety 1 Award - During this Award your child will learn basic water safety awareness and survival techniques such as floating, treading water and submerging and resurfacing, without goggles.
• Water Safety 2 Award -This Award introduces swimming in clothes, the key water safety messages from RNLI and RLSS, and essential personal survival techniques such as the Heat Escape Lessening Position (HELP).
• Water Safety 3 Award - On completing this third and final Water Safety Award your child will fully understand how to perform safe self-rescue in different open and pool-based water situations, and what to do if they fall into water unexpectedly.

Some Year 5 and 6 Pupils will be completing the Rookie Lifeguard Awards. 

RLSS UK’s Rookie Lifeguard Pool programme enables children to learn valuable water safety skills in a fun, engaging, educational, and social swimming pool environment.

The Rookie Lifeguard Pool programme teaches children interchangeable skills that help build their confidence, promote teamwork, and foster leadership skills. Rookie Pool Lifeguards develop the survival, rescue and lifesaving skills that will empower them to respond effectively in emergency situations.

I will inform pupils when they need to bring in additional clothes for these lessons. 

Mrs McCollin
Head of PE and Games

Monday 3 to Friday 7 February 2025

During this time we will be supporting and engaging with this important week as we look at promoting positive mental health in us all. 

Alongside our PSHE lesson, we shall be engaging with different activities supported by the Zones of Regulation to highlight the importance of recognising our own emotions and its benefits to our mental health and wellbeing by choosing strategies to self regulate.

This reiterates the messages given to the children through our recent assembly and from the visual displays popping up around school. Please ask your children about these and maybe mirror the vocabulary and strategies at home.

Mrs Stapleton
Head of Wellbeing

Our Open Morning on Saturday 15 March is fast approaching. We would appreciate as many children as possible in Year 4, 5 and 6 attending to showcase the school to prospective parents between 10.00am and 12.00pm. 

This is a save the date notice, and further details will be sent in the next few weeks. We appreciate plans may have already been made and there is no pressure for your child to attend.

Mrs Webb
Assistant Head

Weekly Calendar 

Choir is cancelled on Friday due to the Orchestral workshop.

Weekly Calendar 3 February 2025

After School

Provision can be booked through My School Portal selecting the sessions you require. If you require your child to have tea, please ensure bookings are made by 10.00am each day.  

MySchoolPortal

Crescent School

Please click below to view the lunch menu for next school week, children are able to have either the Main or Vegetarian option. 

The Sri Lankan Pop Up is cancelled on Friday and the menu has been amended.

Lunch Menu -3 February 2025

Crescent School

Please see below to view the music lesson timetable:

Music Lessons  - 3 February

The music lesson timetable will be published in the Courier every Friday. Please note the following:

• The timetable changes every week. Lessons are rotated as we try to avoid children missing the same lesson each week, though sometimes this is unavoidable if there are trips, matches and events to work around. If a teacher teaches on more than one day, your child's lesson could be on any of those days. Lessons in bold type are in fixed slots and therefore do not rotate, though, again, on occasions we may have to swap them around to avoid clashes with events.
• The music staff will always try to reschedule lessons missed because of a school event, however lessons missed because of illness or not having an instrument in school cannot be made up.
• If you know your child is not going to be in school for their lesson for any reason, please do let me know as early as possible and I will try to work around it, though this cannot be guaranteed.
• Lessons before school and during lunchtime are prioritised to Year 5 pupils now and Year 6 lessons have moved to being during class time.
• Half a term's (ie five lessons) notice is required to stop having lessons, or payment of half a term's fees in lieu of notice.

Please send all enquiries about music lessons to me juliebarnes@crescentschool.co.uk rather than the individual music teachers.

Mrs Barnes
Director of Music

Please find below a link to view this term’s Crescent School calendar. We hope that you will find it a useful aide memoir when planning school events and activities into your busy schedules. There is plenty to look forward to, including lots of fixtures, the Foundation orchestral performance and Spring Concert.

Please note the following addition this term:

• Thursday 20 March - Year 2 Spring Performance to Parents
• Wednesday 26 March - ABRSM Exams will now take place on this date

CS Lent Term Calendar 2025

Crescent School

On Monday afternoon after school, pupils from Years 5 and 6 enjoyed showcasing their fabulous performance skills. The pupils have been preparing for their upcoming LAMDA exams and their LAMDA Showcase was a fantastic opportunity for them to share their much practised and perfected poetry and prose. Pupils in Year 5 are taking Entry level exams, while those in Year 6 will take Grade 1 or Grade 3.
In their Drama lessons, pupils have been building confidence, developing character, learning how to project and developing the use of gestures, emphasis and emotion. In the showcase, they relished performing to an audience, rising to the occasion in style and the watching parents were all amazed by the children's ability and confidence.
A huge well done everyone on a fabulous performance and good luck in your LAMDA exams!

Siobhan from Severn Trent Water's Education Team visited Crescent School on Tuesday 28 January.

Siobhan spoke to pupils in assembly about the water cycle and the crucial topic of water usage. She then hosted a hands-on workshop for Year 4, where the children measured the water used in everyday tasks and learned about the water consumption per household. Siobhan also led a discussion on the impact climate change is having, on the availability of water today compared to years ago, sparking important thoughts for all about the future of our water resource.

It was a really interesting and informative session - many thanks to Siobhan for visiting us this week.

All 38 Year 4 pupils who took the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA) examinations in January have passed with flying colours, with every pupil being awarded a distinction.
At Crescent School, children from Years 3-6 study for the examinations in their Drama lessons as part of the school’s curriculum. Drama teacher, Lizzie Woolfenden, set Year 4 the challenge of the Solo Introductory Stage Three examination. Pupils worked hard in their lessons and at home and enjoyed showcasing their skills to their parents just before they sat their exams in January.
In their examinations, they were judged on interpretation, technique and knowledge. They had to perform a poem with expression and discuss their favourite book with the examiner, including their favourite chapter and section of the book. The results were received this week, and they were outstanding.
Mrs Woolfenden, comments, “I am delighted with the children’s results, congratulations to them all. They worked really hard and clearly impressed the examiner. It’s fantastic that they were all awarded distinctions. The LAMDA examinations inspire and empower children to find their voice and builds their confidence in public speaking, skills that will serve them throughout life. I am very proud of all our pupils."
Years 5 and 6 have their examinations next week and everyone here at Crescent School wishes them the very best of luck.

The latest edition of Princethorpe College’s magazine, The Tower Review, has just been published. Telling the story of the last school year, term by term, it celebrates the adventures, achievements and successes of pupils from Year 7 through to Upper Sixth. It includes highlights such as Prize Giving and the College's productions as well as reviews of sporting events and House competitions. 2023/24 was an incredible year filled full of wonderful and memorable moments. Why not have a read of their magazine here.

Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 February

LAMDA exams will be held on the above dates for those children who have registered.  

All exams will take place during the school day.

Mrs Woolfenden
Drama Teacher

Friday 7 February 2024 - 4.00pm

Crescent School is hosting its annual Orchestra Workshop in conjunction with Crackley Hall on Friday 7 February. There will be a concert for the parents of those playing at 4.00pm on that day.

Tickets are available to book here by Monday 3 February:

Foundation Orchestral Performance to Parents in the School Hall

Mrs Barnes
Director of Music

Friday 14 February 2025

We will be holding a non-uniform day on Friday 14 February with all proceeds going to this term's chosen charity, Bwengu Projects. 

Please send a £1 donation with your child to be given to their form teacher.

Thank you.

Ms Forth
Deputy Head

Dear Parents

We were thrilled to support the OurJay charity last term and many of you will have noticed the defibrillator outside of school.  Alongside this public access, we recognise the importance of rapid and informed response of CPR/AED action. 

As such we are delighted to be able to offer to Crescent parents and families a resuscitation training session led by the OurJay team in the school hall on Friday 14 February from 2.00pm to 3.30pm.  We know many of you will wish to join in this potentially life saving opportunity, please sign up via the link below, numbers are limited to 20:

OurJay Foundation - Resuscitation training for Parents in the School hall

Mr Webb
Assistant Head

Friday 14 February 2025 - 6.30pm to 9.30pm

With just two weeks to go until our 2025 Farmers' Networking Supper, we are delighted that a good number of Princethorpe's farming community have signed up already, with over 50 guests already confirmed. We still have capacity for more to join us, so do sign up, if you're available, as soon as you can to secure your place, and help to make this year's event the best yet.

We are also excited to announce our Guest Speakers for the evening:

Charlie Weetman - Owner of F. Weetman & Son who have run East Chase Farm in Kenilworth for five generations. Charlie is also Director of the Kenilworth Show, and so will be sharing both his insights into running a family farm and his exciting plans for the Kenilworth Show, which takes place this year on Saturday 31 May.

Luke Weetman - Son of Charlie, Luke is co-founder of East Chase Distillery, an independent artisan gin distillery situated on East Chase Farm. Luke will share his story of how the distillery came about and his vision for the future.

The evening is set to be a fantastic chance to socialise and network with fellow farmers, enjoying great food and drinks whilst gaining fresh insights into the sector and celebrating the efforts of this vibrant community. Don't miss out!

The event will take place in the Sixth Form Centre at Princethorpe College, and the dress code is smart-casual.

Secure your spot here by Friday 7 February 2025.

Team Super Sports are back at Princethorpe College this February half-term with an action-packed week for children aged 5 to 16 years. From Monday 17 February to Friday 21 February, the Holiday Camps will run from 8.00am to 5.00pm.

Children aged 7 to 16 can choose from a variety of sports to create their own personalised sports camp! For our younger campers (ages 5 to 7), along with sport we’ve got arts, crafts, and dance activities to keep them engaged and having a blast!

Why Team Super Sports? They’re experts in sport and multi-activity holiday camps, providing top-level coaching for all abilities.

Click here to visit the Team Super Sports website to secure your child’s spot.

Camps are priced at £38 per day. Book before Sunday 2 February to receive an extra 10% off for early booking!

Sibling discounts and flexible booking options available!

Saturday 15 March - 10.00am to 12.00pm

We are holding our Spring Open Morning on Saturday 15 March. This is a great opportunity for prospective families considering Crescent School to have a look around and get a feel for the school. There will also be opportunities to see sport and music in action, speak to pupils, key members of staff and to meet Mr Thackway, Headmaster.

The school will have two Reception Classes in September 2025 and are still accepting registrations for the last few places.

To find out more and to book your visit to Crescent School visit our website here.

Applications for places in the current Reception to Year 6 are treated on an individual basis as there are limited places. Please get in touch with our Registrar, Mrs Becky Witcomb, at admissions@crescentschool.co.uk, regarding availability for September 2025.  To find out more about mid-year and mid-term admissions click here. 

We are now also taking registrations for September 2026 entry to Reception and Year 3. 

Thursday 13 April 2024 - 10.30am to 12.30pm

As part of the launch of the 2026 Admissions Cycle, the College's Spring Open Morning will give prospective families a chance to visit the school on a normal working day, with Year 8 and 9 pupils acting as tour guides. The Leadership and Admissions Teams will be available to answer any questions visitors might have. Light refreshments will be available.

All are welcome, please book your place by clicking here.

Entrance Examinations Day for September 2026 entry will take place on Saturday 8 November 2025 from 9.30am to 3.30pm. The deadline for registrations, scholarship and bursary applications is Friday 26 September 2025.

Limited places are also still available for entry to the College in September 2025 in current Years 7 to 10, and a Spring Entrance Exams Session will take place, after the Open Morning on Friday 21 March.

For further information please contact the Admissions Team on 01926 643201/297 or email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit​
Wednesday 9 April - 2.30pm and 4.00pm and Thursday 10 April - 2.30pm and  4.00pm

As part of the Foundation's drive to increase non-fee income, our Commercial Enterprise Team are delighted to be hosting LOL Theatre Company's lovingly adapted production of The Tale of Peter Rabbit in The Clarkson Theatre in the run up to Easter.

When young Peter Rabbit disobeys his mother and enters the forbidden garden belonging to Mr McGreggor, he indulges himself with lettuce, green beans and radishes, however he soon starts to feel sick and goes in search of some parsley to soothe his stomach ache. Who does he encounter when he ventures further into the vegetable patch? None other than Mr McGreggor himself! After a frantic chase, he loses his clothes and his sense of direction. Will Peter Rabbit escape Mr McGreggor's clutches and return home unharmed? More importantly, will he learn his lesson and listen to his mother's warnings next time? Let's hope so!

This 45 minute family friendly production is based on the classic short story by Beatrix Potter and teaches about the importance of listening to warnings, doing the right thing and facing the consequences of your actions. Recommended for ages 4 and above.

This enchanting theatre show brings Beatrix Potter’s beloved characters to life!

Tickets

• Adult ticket - £10
• Child ticket - £5
• Under 4s go FREE

Click here to book your seats.

Competition Time!

Reception to Year 3 will shortly be receiving more details on our Peter Rabbit competition to win tickets to see The Tale of Peter Rabbit at Princethorpe College!  Keep your eyes peeled!

This week has been busy again for children achieving their full Junior da Vinci student awards. Max in 1Q was awarded his in Maths. Sarima, Olivia-Rose, Iris, Emily and Zachary in 3LS earn theirs in English as does Evelyn in 5F, and Alex B and Matthew in 6W. Aria in 5F earns both Maths, Art and geography this week, and Zoe in 4W earns hers in Art too. 

Congratulations

Mrs Symons 
JDV Lead

Word Wizards

The pupils achieving the highest word count from successfully quizzing this week, are:

• 3LS Isla
• 3SS Locan
• 4C Catherine
• 4W Jahnavi
• 5F Aria
• 6W Samuel

Top Quizzers 

The pupils who have quizzed on the most books successfully or made a noticeable improvement in quizzing scores this week are:

• 3LS Reegan
• 3SS Alexandria
• 4C Alice
• 4W Elliott
• 5F Gloria
• 6W Lewis

Mrs Nelson
Teaching Assistant

The 100K Word Superstar this week is Jonelle in 3SS.

Well done.

Mrs Nelson
Teaching Assistant

A really important part of life in Pre-Prep is building a love of reading. We are developing the children's phonics skills, reading fluency, expression, style and comprehension. Each week we select two readers from each class who have stood out to us as demonstrating one or more of these skills or who have made really great progress over the previous few weeks. It's a lovely way for the children to know that we recognise and celebrate their success.

This week's reading superstars are:

• Reception - Eris and Maisie
• Year 1 - Ayven and Emilia
• Year 2 - Emily and Erica

Mrs Emery
Head of KS1 and Class 2E Form Teacher

Congratulations to the following pupils for their great artwork this week:

• Everly 5F - Beautifully sequenced illustration
• Isabella 5F - Excellently observed narrative picture
• Kiran 5F - Beautifully observed narrative study
• Gloria 5F - Skilfully drawn illustration
• Aria 5F - Beautifully observed and excellent use of line and colour
• Feranmi 4W - Excellently observed expressive self-portrait
• Henry 4C - A carefully observed self-portrait and dramatic use of tone
• Ben 4C - Excellent shading and blending effect
• Flora 4C - Carefully observed expressive self-portrait
• Eve 4C - Creative use of shading and blending to add depth
• Elliott 4W - An expressive self-portrait with lovely tonal effect
• Zoe 4W - A fun expressive portrait with strong tonal contrast
• Walter 4W - A carefully observed expressive self-portrait
• Charlotte D 3SS - Lovely mark making effects
• Summer 3SS - Excellent use of the grid and powerful tonal contrast
• Oore 3SS - Dramatic shading and blending to add depth. 

Mrs Thackway
Head of Art

Battle Results - 22-29 January 2025 between Y1-6 (average score per class member):

• 1st 3SS 163
• 2nd 1Q 157
• 3rd 3LS 140

Most valuable players in the whole competition:

• 1st Eve 1Q
• 2nd Sarima 3LS
• 3rd Tara 3SS

Well done, 3SS! 🏆

Most improved speedsters in the studio are:

3LS

• Sarima - Rock Legend!

3SS

• Isabel - Support Act!
• Ashleen - Gigger!
• Tara - Rock Legend!

4W 

• Elliott - Breakthrough Artist

New battle between all classes 29 January - 5 February 2025.

Please note only the children should play on their account or it influences the level appropriate to them.

Art Frizzmeister 
Deputy Head

3SS are still enjoying exploring the characters and plot of Fantastic Mr Fox and have spent time role playing characters. The objective was to recognise direct speech from having a conversation, then writing it as dialogue, adding the correct punctuation and varying their reporting clauses. Such fun watching them hone their drama skills too! 

Mrs Stapleton
Year 3 English Teacher

3LS have worked exceptionally hard in Maths this week, exploring fractions of shapes and numbers.

They used paper strips to find fractions that were equivalent to each other, and then were set a cookie challenge! To share a cookie with a friend by cutting it into five parts. It was tricky, but Mrs Symons didn’t say the pieces had to be equal, just that each person in the pair should have the same amount at the end. 

Mrs Symons
Year 3 Maths Teacher

3LS have been looking at the proportions of their own face before sketching their self-portraits. They have also been experimenting with different mark making and shading techniques to add depth to their drawings.

Mrs Thackway
Head of Art

4C have reached the conclusion of their story-writing unit, where they retold The Great Kapok Tree in their own words.

They aimed to craft engaging narratives with a specific focus on including fronted adverbials, clear paragraphs, accurate direct speech punctuation and vivid descriptive details. Plus, they made sure to proof-read for spelling or punctuation errors.  The final stories are all beautifully written and everyone should feel proud of their efforts. We hope some of you had the chance to admire their fantastic work on display during our Open Corridors Evening!

Ms Clark
Year 4 English Teacher

The children in Year 4 have been learning the vocabulary for clothes in French. 

They have also been learning the grammatical rules for adjectival agreement so that they can describe their clothes with colours, using the colour adjective in the correct form. Here they are playing a vocabulary game. The referee calls out an item of clothing and the first child to put their hand on the correct picture wins a point. Some of the children were very fast to react!

Mrs Day
Year 4 MFL Teacher

4C and 4W have been using mirrors to carefully observe how their facial features change depending on the expression they pull. After sketching carefully, they experimented with different tonal effect to show light and shadow.

Mrs Thackway
Head of Art

This week in 4W, we have been using iPads and computers to type up and publish our fantastic stories about the great Kapok tree. We have really enjoyed using speech punctuation to help us feel our stories. 

In Maths this week, we have used multiples of 10 to help divide and although this is a tricky concept, we showed resilience and persistence in our problem solving. 

Our 'Positivitree,' challenged the children and adults to think of someone who inspires them and even some of our parents put up a leaf during our open corridor event. 

And... we are so proud of our drama results. We have all got distinctions and are really looking forward to our Year 4 play - Wind in the Willows!

Mrs Woolfenden
Class 4W Form Teacher

In Art Club this week, 5F have enjoyed using their imagination to create these amazing decorative containers.

Mrs Thackway
Head of Art

Class 5F are studying the geometry of turns and angles. We learned how to use a pair of compasses properly rather than just for digging holes in erasers! As you can see from the photos, you need a lot of concentration and a lot of practice to get the perfect circle.

Ms Forth
Year 5 Maths Teacher

Year 5 have been investigating irreversible reactions this week. The pupils have had an exciting week, observing balloons being inflated by gas produced by the reaction of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, rusting of nails in water and making bath bombs and observing the chemical reaction when placed in water.

Mrs Johnson
Science and DT Teacher

As part of our consolidation of apostrophes the children were writing potion recipes in the style they would use at Hogwarts. It sparked their imagination and allowed them to show their understanding of apostrophes.

Mrs Webb
Year 6 English Teacher

Year 6 have been learning about the different methods of training and how exercise affects the body. They have then planned their own training programme to help them develop different components of fitness for a sport of their choice. 

Mrs McCollin
Head of PE and Games

In their Latin lesson, pupils in 6W made models of Roman soldiers and Celtic warriors. The Roman soldiers have better armour and weapons, but the Celtic warriors look very fierce with their long hair and body paint. Who do you think would win the battle?

Mrs Barnes
Year 6 Latin Teacher

This term, STEM Club is investigating renewable energy by exploring wind, hydro and solar power. We'll be building wind and water turbines, along with structures for mini solar panels, and measuring their power output using a voltmeter. Our findings will be shared with the Green Team and Mr Thackway to support the school in making informed decisions about renewable energy solutions!

Mrs Johnson
Science and DT Teacher

On Tuesday, the Green Team along with Severn Trent presented ways to save water. Here are some key facts that might help you to reduce water usage and cost at home. 

• There is one sextillion two hundred and sixty quintillion litres of water on our blue plant but only one percent is fresh water and usable. Climate change and pollution is reducing this amount further.
• We are using the same water that was around when dinosaurs were on Earth.
• On average a person uses 150 litres of water per day (15 x 1 litre bottles).
• Can your family save water by having a 4-minute shower, turning the taps off when brushing your teeth, only filling the bath half full and using alternatives in the garden instead of a hose pipe?

From the Green Team

Occurring through messaging apps, on social media and in online games, group chats are among the most popular ways that young people engage with their peers online. Involving, by definition, three or more individuals, these groups allow users to send messages, images and videos to everyone in one place. While they are fantastic for helping friends, people with shared interests or members of a club to communicate and coordinate activities, they can also leave young people feeling excluded and bullied – as well as providing opportunities for inappropriate content to be shared and viewed.

Like with all useful things in the online world, the last thing we want to do is ban them altogether, causing children to miss out and feel isolated from their friends. With a little bit of advice, particularly about elements such as considering others' feelings, and the occasional light monitoring, they can be the amazing social tool they were designed to be. Please have a look at the this Guide for lots of great tips, and if you have any further questions, please do get in touch!

 Mr Adkins
Head of Digital Learning

Our Crescent cross country squad made the long journey over to Bedstone College more than worthwhile with some truly fantastic team and individual performances at the Midlands ISA. Every one of our pupils gave it their absolute all, pacing themselves well on a very wet, muddy course, competing in a packed field with 19 other schools and over 150 runners in each race! 

Our final team results and top finishers were:

• U9s Girls - Overall Team 9th place, Beau 38th, Penny 44th, Felicity 60th
• U9s Boys - Overall Team 4th place 🏆Josh 15th, Finn 19th, Charlie 22nd, Feranmi 49th
• U11s Girls - Overall Team 4th place, Amber 15th, Roisin 18th, MingYi 37th
• U11s Boys - Overall Team 9th place, Kian 13th, Thomas 20th, Maxi 79th

Well done to the entire squad for their superb patience, behaviour, resilience and attitude throughout the day.

Mr Adkins, Mrs Dowling and Mrs Calder

Fantastic day at Lee Valley Hockey Stadium with the U11 boys. A very high standard of hockey played by all, with all pupils making great progress throughout the tournament. Lots of goals scored, a plethora of short corner practice and smiles a plenty. Rounding of the day with a fantastic win on the Olympic pitch to bring home bronze medals.

Pool - A 

• 1-0 Loss Copthil  ( Overall winners of competition)
• 2-0 Win Claremont School
• 1-0 Win Oakhyrst School
• 2-1 Loss Crosfields School 

Bowl - Knock Out 

• 1-0 Loss V New Hall School
• 2-0 Win V Thorpe Hall School 

Finishing 3^rd Place in the Bowl 

A great day, with all pupils showing great focus, drive, determination and fantastic skills.  

A pleasure to spend the day with them. 

Mrs McCollin and Mrs Dowling 

Click here to view the term dates for 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Crescent School

Please see below for useful school contact information:

Uniform can be ordered here:

Uniform Order Form

Please note the following items are stocked in the School Office and can be added to your account. Do pop in to collect any items.

• Winter hats
• Scarves
• Gloves
• Ties
• Swimming hats
• Sports socks
• Hair bands
• Hair scrunchies
• Hair clips
• Sun hats
• Music group badges - Choir, Orchestra, String and Brass 

School Uniform Shop 
Tel: 01926 634272
Email: uniform@princethorpe.co.uk

We regularly recruit for a variety of roles, please do share news of the vacancies with interested friends and family. Current vacancies include:

Crescent School

• Head of Music

Full details and information on how to apply are available on the Foundation website here:

www.princethorpe.co.uk/join-us

Should you know anyone who might be interested in these posts, please do share this information with them.

Funstar Education have spaces in their Co-Curricular classes. 

• Football 3.45pm - 4.45pm, Tuesdays. 
  Challenging fun football to improve co-ordination, including skills, freestyle, tricks, team games and more. Become a footballing star! Join our UEFA coach!
• Funtime 3.45pm-4.45pm, Wednesdays. 
  Challenging fun games such as team games, skill games, party games, performing arts games, use of music, props, parachutes and more just a fab Funtime!
• DanSing 3.45pm-4.30pm, Fridays. 
  Sing to a mix of old and new chart songs with a twist adding cool dance moves!

In all clubs we incorporate challenging games and a reward system which encourages children to be active, gain self-confidence and improve mental health.

Click here for more details.